The Divided State of America: How Long Can We Stand?
and cause a 9, 10, or 11-week fetus to die and be expelled from the womb as though he or she were nothing more than a large blood clot. We want the right to suction a baby out of the womb as though we were vacuuming out our cars of junk and stray french fries.
We want the right to reach into the womb and dismember a 23-week fetus. We want that right so badly that we delude ourselves into thinking it's moral and just and even compassionate. Which of us would find it compassionate to dismember a 2 month-old infant? Why is it any different simply because the dismembering is done on a smaller baby who is still in the womb? Does that make the dismembering kinder? Does it make the dismembering less grotesque? Does it make the act itself respectable? Of course not.
We can't delicately operate on a 23 week-old fetus in one room and stab the heart and crush the skull of a 23 week-old fetus in the room next door. We call the first an example of life-saving, miraculous medical advancement and the other a sacred "right" and protected "freedom." One child is considered a patient and the other child is not considered anything at all.
How long can we perpetuate this absurd incongruency?
This intellectual dishonesty is leading us toward national schizophrenia. We simply cannot insist that to kill one child is moral, right and respectable while to kill another child is abhorrent and criminal.
Either it is moral, right and respectable to kill a child at any age and stage of development or it is abhorrent and criminal and the height of evil. It must be one or the other. Either we will protect our defenseless children from harm, or we'll inflict the harm ourselves and call it our right.
It's time for honesty. Those who demand abortion must come clean and say out loud, "We want the right to kill our babies." Those who legislate for abortion on demand must come clean and say, "We will make sure it's legal to kill our babies and pay for it with our taxes."
Those who want to sit on the fence rather than "tell someone else what to do" must come clean and say, "I'm content to let it be legal to kill our babies. That's okay with me."
The issue is not "reproductive rights" but the humanity of the child in the womb. The question is not one of "equality" in marriage, but of defending the foundation of the family, and the unchangeable meaning of marriage.
In both cases, the conflict demands a final and morally coherent answer. Government does not have that answer. The Catholic Church does. But we're not really "one nation under God" anymore, are we? Soon we may not be one nation anymore either.
-----
Jennifer Hartline is a grateful Catholic, a proud Army wife and homeschooling mother of three children. She is a contributing writer for Catholic Online. Visit her online at Wake Up, Deborah! and MCH.
- - -
Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
Keywords: abortion, same-sex marriage, divided, united, life, America, Jennifer Hartline
NEWSLETTERS »
Rate This Article
1 - 10 of 29 Comments
Leave a Comment
More U.S. News
- Nebraska Bishop: Gosnell clinic was 'reminiscent of Auschwitz'
- Why even if you lose, playing Powerball isn't such a bad bet after all
- Cheap cigarette outlets in U.S. may be funding terrorists
- Shocking report reveals 38 men, 33 women are raped each day in the military
- Father Frank Pavone: Houston Abortionist Killing Babies Born Alive
- Bill Donohue, Catholic League, Disclose Fight with the IRS, Demonstrate Courage
- Chilling note scrawled by bloodied Boston terrorist reveals motive
- Sex In Uniform: Why the Increase in Sexual Assaults in the Military?
- Dr. Glidden of Catalina Island: Monster or historian?
Featured News
- Fr. Paul Schenck: Finding Living Faith on Catechetical Sunday
- The Movie Yellow: Incest as 'Normal' and Cassavates's Slides Into the World of Woes
- The Chicago School Teachers Strike Reveals the Need For School Choice
- The Sexual Barbarians and the Dissolution of Culture
- The Happy Priest Challenges Us to Ask: Who is Jesus to Me?
- Michael Coren on Canadian Public Schools: Teachers, leave those kids alone
- We Cannot Ignore Our Consciences: Cardinal Dolan On Religious Liberty
- In the Face of Danger, Successor of Peter Travels to Lebanon as a Messenger of Peace
- Reflections on the Dignity and Vocation of Women: Who or What?
Most Popular
Editorial: Is the Scandal Ridden Obama Administration Becoming a House of Cards? Read More
There's the problem! Americans are out of touch with scientific consensus on climate change Read More
Did God make junk? Scientists say 98 percent of human genome is junk Read More
Sex In Uniform: Why the Increase in Sexual Assaults in the Military? Read More
Why Pope Francis Doesn't Give Communion Read More
Daily Readings
Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, when ... Read More
Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
Bless Yahweh, my soul, Yahweh, my God, how great you are! ... Read More
Gospel, John 20:19-23
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the ... Read More
Reading 2, First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no ... Read More
Saint of the Day
St. Celestine
May 19: When the father of this Italian saint died, his good mother ... Read More
Latest Videos
May 19 - Homily: Pentecost & The Marian Civilization of Love View Video
May 19 - Homily: Heroic Cooperation with the Spirit View Video
Sanctify my Lowliness - 2 Pillars #30 View Video
May 18 - Homily: Friar Felix View Video
Meet Your Mother - Dr. Miravalle: Mcasts198 View Video
Marketplace
Healing Power Prayers
These prayers have the power to break all forms of bondage and ... Read More
Exquisite Outdoor Garden Figurines
Outdoor & Garden from mosacks.com includes statues, furniture, ... Read More
Judy, I don't know if he's coming soon, but I do know that the end of our country is coming soon. The real estate fraud was just the first liquidation event. Once those that stole that come back to the table for the rest, we are through. It's almost like a hostile takeover going on right in front of our eyes.
Judy, your posts make better sense than all of us. While our arguements stumble around, you put things on the strait and narrow. God bless.
The opponents of life see no contradiction in killing an unborn child who is "unwanted", and saving a child who is "wanted". The criteria has nothing to do with the child, but everything to do with the mother's wishes. Abortion is promoted by those who wish to "liberate" women from the constraints of family life, to strike at the root of society by destroying the family. Only then can they create a utilitarian society that serves those in power, a society made in the image of (fallen) man, not the image of God. The same sex "marriage" agenda serves the same purpose, to strike at the very foundation of the family by redefining what family is. Radical feminism, which promotes abortion, is nothing more than the non serviat of Lucifer, a declaration of war on God who is the author of life, by usurping that role, and on men who are instrumental in the creative act of pro-creation. Militant homosexualism is nothing more than an enthronement of pleasure in the place of God, and leads to terrible spiritual slavery. This nation is no longer a nation. It has ceased to be a nation because the opposing camps are irreconcilable. There will be civil war, disintegration, or tyrannical dictatorship to enforce the union. The status quo, though, is not sustainable.
Rob and Jim Kaye and Vance: Agreed! Yes, we are divided for those Reasons. It has not happened overnight. Me thinks He might be coming soon, though I know not when. Is it the Signs of the Times? Or has there always been at certain ages in history, Signs of the Times? Who knows? But history tells us, NO nation has lasted longer than Rome. And Rome began to decline after 200 years...and then after that it was just never the same. So, if Rome was the longest reining country in history, 200 years her prime, and then began her descent, WE are now like her, IF something does not drastically Change. And how will that happen overnight? I do not know. If Christ said, "How many will have Faith on my return?" One entertains the thought...I wonder if our world is following his Words. Oh, I have Faith, but I pray for future generations! What will they have to endure? What can we do in peace? Yes, Vance, it is time to smell the coffee.
Blessings Always...
Jim, I couldn't agree more. Our politicians sole desire has been personal enrichment and the enrichment of those who keep them in office. Couple that with legislating immorality either activiely as in abortion laws or passively in allowing them to stand for 40 years, yup, you are right. We are not longer that country. But government aside, the people who have free will, have chosen death.
While it's difficult to put a barometer on the state of divisions and iniquities in the US, it's clear to see we are not the nation our founders set out to create. As values and morals declined through generations we have become what can not longer be considered "One nation under God", rather, "One nation under the thumbs of our lawmakers, who put themselves under the thumbs of big business". The one and only solution is in the hearts of the people, who must turn back to basics found in the Word.
Joseph, I do not agree with your assessment or at least it's incomplete. I think it's convenient to point our fingers at the Church and say it's their fault. But I would ask you to consider what impact wealth has had on the english speaking country's faith. Things have become so "comfortable" in our country that it's the same old song of when things are great, I don't need God. Couple that with scientific advances and you have the potential for what we see now. But I think the biggest factor you are not discussing is the fact that Christians, particularly in this country, really don't want to live as disciples of Christ. Our lifestyles really aren't that much different than the pegans. Grown adults do not pursue their faith and they fail to teach it to their children. There are more faith formation programs around than anytime in history so you really can't lay that on the feet of the hieracry. They are doing what they always do, but it's our terrible response to it that has caused the mess we are in. The devloping nations do not have the problems we do. Maybe it's the poverty that allows them to see. But we are so blinded and confused in this country that I think by and large Christians have lost the essence of what it means to be Christian. As the song goes, "love don't live here anymore." What I don't see in Christians anymore is joy. I don't see love. What I mostly see is anger. I see a lot of people who don't seem to have hope anymore. And there seems to be absolutely no love of our neighbor. Our country will not fail because of the evil doers. Our country will fail because we Christians refuse to love. We will fail because Chritians no longer understand the concept of mercy. We will fail because we can't be bothered with real evangelization.
The Church's entire strategy since Vatican II has been misguided and misplaced. Seeking to affirm love instead of condemnation, the hierarchy have instead given a green light to license. Seeking to 'dialogue' with the secular-progressive-atheist coalition, they have instead communicated weakness, inspiring nothing but contempt on the part of the Left. And while doing all this they have at the same time utterly failed to teach the faith and the faith's hard realities to generations of Catholics, many of whom are now either apostates or Catholic only in name and utterly clueless as to the core concepts and principles of the faith, concepts and principles that were everyday commonplaces in the hearts of all Catholics prior to this disastrous strategy undertaken by the Church. And until the hierarchy has the humility to admit it has grotesquely failed in its divine mission to lead the flock we will continue to flounder and flop, like fish out of water, lacking cohesion and incisiveness at the social and political level. We are the largest Christian denomination in the world, yet our voice is shattered and divided into a thousand rivulets instead of being united, cohesive, targeted and focused. Indeed, if it were not the Vatican, I suspect our Church would have been virtually destroyed during the 60s and 70s. As it is, all of us in the English-speaking nations (America, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand) continue to be plagued by national hierarchies that have none of Paul's robust, bold, forceful determination to speak the truth, however unpalatable and unpopular, to every man and woman, regardless of status and position, and at whatever cost, In short, and with a few notable exceptions, we are being led by shepherds who prefer to chat, 'dialogue' and debate with today's wolves instead of rising up against them in defence of their flocks and in defence of the eternal truths of our Faith.
What's unfortunate vance is that the two candidates will not be the nominee. Money changers will never let it happen.
Once again, in our nation's history, I think it is time to let God's teachings in the bible be our guide. With that, and the leadership of the Holy Catholic Church we can make our nation great and good again.